TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1999 REPORT OF AN INQUIRY INTO THE DRAFT AREA PLAN FOR THE EAST Dates of Inquiry: 10 September to 2 October 2019 Inspector: Michael Hurley BA DipTP Cabinet Office Paper Number (14th February 2020): Paper 9 (Original report modified to include reference numbers to Inspector’s recommendations) 1 CONTENTS Paragraph Preamble 1 Chapters 1-3 Lifespan of the Area Plan 10 General Development Brief 14 Spatial Vision 16 Development Boundaries 21 Large Developments Outside Settlements 23 Chapter 4 – Landscape Landscape Character Areas 25 Landscape North of Douglas and Onchan 31 Howstrake Holiday Camp 33 Chapter 5 – Natural Environment Objectives 36 Outcomes 38 Green Gaps 39 The Uplands 48 Chapter 6 – Urban Environment Registered Buildings and Conservation Areas 49 Urban Environment Proposal 3 51 Archaeology 52 Railway Architecture 53 Chapter 7 – Transport and Utilities Traffic Congestion 54 Cycle Parking 57 Park and Ride 58 TT Access Road 59 Gas Supply 62 Flood Risk 63 Sewage Treatment 65 Renewable Energy 68 Chapter 8 – Employment Employment Proposals 1 and 2 74 Need for Employment Land 77 Employment Proposal 3 - Site BE002a – Cooil Road 104 Employment Proposal 4 – sites BE002b and BE006 – Cooil Road 107 Site BE001 – Ballalough Depot 115 Site BE009 – Clybane 121 Site BE010 – Middle Farm 124 Richmond Hill Waste Site 134 Site BE025 – Adjacent to Tromode Industrial Estate 142 2 Chapter 9 – Town Centre Town Centre Boundary 148 Mixed Use Area 3 154 Mixed Use Area 5 155 Mixed Use Area 8 156 Mixed Use Area 8 158 Town Centre Conservation Areas 165 Chapter 10 – Tourism Tourism Proposal 6 166 Raad Ny Foillan 167 Chapter 11 – Open Space, Education etc Accuracy of Table 10 168 Children’s Play Space 169 Education 174 Chapter12 – Residential Population and Households 187 Housing Need 205 Vacancies 206 Housing Need in the East 208 Release of Reserve Sites 218 Housing Supply 224 Distribution of Proposed Housing 230 Groups of Dwellings in the Countryside 237 Low Density Housing in Parkland 241 Types of Accommodation 245 Housing Allocations 249 Sites DBH002 and BH030 – Braddan Road/Ballafletcher Road 251 Site BM006 – Vicarage Road, Braddan 269 Site BH031 – Camlork 274 Site DH001 – Westmoreland Road, Douglas 290 Sites DH002, DH057 and DM001 – Johnny Watterson’s Lane 294 Site DH009 – Ballanard Road, Douglas 305 Site DH011 – Ballanard Woods, Douglas 312 Site DH039 – Park Road, Douglas 318 Site DH046 – Victoria Road Prison, Douglas 319 Site OH011 - Ballachrink, Onchan 321 Site OH017 – Summerhill, Douglas 332 Site OH018 – Governor’s Road, Douglas 337 Site BH032 – Coronation Terrace, Strang 343 Sites GH011/ GH015 – Ballacollister Road, Laxey 349 Site GH020 – Ard Reayrt, Laxey 356 Site GH038 – Ballacollister Road, Laxey 360 Site GH013 – Baldrine Road, Baldrine 364 Site GM001 – Baldrine Road, Baldrine 371 Site MH001 – Ballaglonney Close, Crosby 382 3 Site MH003 – Close Jairg Beg, Crosby 386 Site MH023 – Ballagarey Nursery, Glen Vine 393 Site MM001 – Ballaglonney Farm, Crosby 394 Site OH004 – Ashley Road, Onchan 405 Site SH013 – Newtown 410 Site BH001 – Trollaby Lane, Union Mills 422 Site BH007 - Ballamillighyn Mansion, Mount Rule 425 Site BH042 – Ballafletcher Cottage, Peel Road, Braddan 428 Site BH013 – West Baldwin 431 Site BH014 – Hampton Court, Quine’s Hill 434 Sites BH015/BH019 – Woodstock and Hilltop Nurseries 437 Sites BH016/BH017 – Port Soderick 443 Site BH021 – Ballaveare Farm, Port Soderick 446 Site BH022 – Colooney’s Road, Bradda 448 Site BH039 – Bridge House, West Baldwin 451 Site BH041 – Oak Hill, Port Soderick 453 Site BM008 – Castleward Farm, Braddan 456 Late Site 3 – Braaid 461 Site DH008 – Ellenbrook, Douglas 464 Rear of Shoprite, Victoria Road, Douglas 467 Site GH023 – Prince’s Motors, Laxey 468 Site GH002 – Clay Head Road, Baldrine 471 Site GH033/GH040 – Baldrine Park, Baldrine 472 Site GH032 – Main Road, Baldrine 475 Site GH039 – Lamb’s Lane, Laxey 479 Old Laxey Hill, Laxey 484 Site MH002 – Ballagarey, Glen Vine 487 Sites MH009/MH010 – Eyreton Farm, Crosby 495 Site MH015 – Ballahutchin Hill 498 Site MM002 – Ballafreer, Glen Vine 500 Site OH002 – Bibaloe Mooar Farm, Onchan 505 Site OH003 – Belgravia Road, Onchan 507 Site OH007 – King Edward Bay Golf Course 511 Site OH009 – Howstrake Holiday Camp 519 Site OH013 – Ballacottier Road, Onchan 525 Site OH025 – Little Mill road, Onchan 527 Site SH003 – Ballanoa Meadow, Newtown 529 Site SH010 – Main Road, Newtown 534 Late Site 2 – Conister, Main Road, Newtown 537 Antillas, Ballanard Road, Douglas 539 Summary of Residential Allocations 541 Chapter 12 – Comprehensive Treatment Areas CTA Proposal 4 – Peel Road 546 CTA Proposal 6 – General 547 Conclusions 548 4 REPORT OF THE INQUIRY INTO THE DRAFT AREA PLAN FOR THE EAST PREAMBLE 1 I have the honour to report that I was appointed to hold a public inquiry into the draft Area Plan for the East, in accordance with the provisions of Section 2 and Schedule 1 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1999. On 18 July 2019, I held a pre-inquiry meeting to establish the procedural arrangements for the inquiry. A note summarising these arrangements was subsequently sent to all prospective participants and posted on the inquiry website. 2 The inquiry sat on 15 days between 10 September and 2 October 2019, and heard representations from more than 70 individuals and organisations in respect of more than 100 separate issues and sites. In addition, I have considered more than 50 written representations. 3 The inquiry included five round-table sessions, which respectively considered the following issues: • population and household projections and general proposals for housing; • the adequacy of infrastructure provision; • landscape and the environment; • town centre and comprehensive treatment areas; and • development briefs. A more formal, adversarial approach was adopted for the consideration of representations concerning the treatment of specific sites. In addition, on 25 September, an evening session was held. This enabled members of the public, who had been unable to attend the daytime inquiry sessions, to be heard on any relevant matters which concerned them. 4 All of the documentary material considered by me at the inquiry or in written submissions is published on the inquiry website. This includes a substantial number of Core Documents (CDs). Paper copies of the CDs were also made available in the inquiry room, and in various public buildings throughout the East. 5 The Programme Officers for the inquiry were Mr Andy Johnstone and Mr Andrew Joyce, who are officers in the Chief Secretary’s Department. They were responsible for arranging and maintaining the inquiry programme; managing the inquiry documents and website; and providing a link between inquiry participants and myself when the inquiry was not in session. I here record my thanks for the assistance and support which they gave me before, during and after the inquiry. I also record my thanks to all who participated in the inquiry, for the courteous and helpful manner in which they made their contributions. 6 The draft Area Plan for the East was prepared by the Cabinet Office, and was published for public consultation in May 2018. Subsequently, in the light of the responses made by consultees, the Cabinet Office published a series of proposed changes to the draft Area Plan, 5 which are contained in Public Inquiry Paper (PIP) 5 (CD54). Unless otherwise indicated in this report, I do not consider that any modification is required to the draft Area Plan as amended by those proposed changes. 7 Once the Area Plan has been adopted by the Cabinet Office and approved by Tynwald, it will form part of the Island Development Plan, which also includes the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016. In accordance with Section 2(4) of the 1999 Act, the proposals in the Area Plan must be in ‘general conformity’ with the Strategic Plan, which provides the strategic planning framework for the whole Island. A key role for the Area Plan is to show how the broad policies set out in the Strategic Plan are to relate to precise areas of land. 8 Prior to inquiry, I sought the advice of the Attorney General on the interpretation of the legal requirement for ‘general conformity’ between the Area Plan and the Strategic Plan. My question and the Attorney General’s response are published on the inquiry website. During the course of the inquiry, I also received a written submission on this matter from Mr Stephen Morgan of counsel, which is also published on the website. I am grateful to the Attorney General and Mr Morgan for their advice, which is self-explanatory. 9 This report follows the structure of the draft Area Plan, and deals with objections and other representations chapter by chapter. CHAPTERS 1 – 3: AREA APPROACH; THE ROLE OF THE AREA PLAN; AND SPATIAL VISION The Lifetime of the Area Plan 10 These preliminary chapters of the draft Area Plan provide background information, much of which is uncontroversial. Section 1.7 explains that, like the Strategic Plan 2016, the Area Plan is to cover a ‘plan period’ extending from 2011 to 2026. However, its currency will not automatically terminate in 2026, but may extend beyond this date, to ensure continuity and an orderly transition between successive development plans. Accordingly, the draft Area Plan proposes that ‘Strategic Reserve’ sites should be allocated for both residential and employment uses, which are intended for development in the longer term (beyond 2026) or possibly earlier than that, should there be a demonstrable need. This accords with the approach described in Chapter 13 of the Strategic Plan. 11 However, Section 1.8 of the draft Area Plan lists the operational plans which the proposed Area Plan would replace, and which currently provide details of the allocation of land for development in the East. They include those parts of the 1982 Development Plan that cover the administrative parishes of Marown and Santon; the Braddan Local Plan of 1991; the Douglas Local Plan of 1998; the Onchan Local Plan of 2000; and the Laxey and Lonan Local Plan of 2005.